BEWARE OF THE H.R.1 BILL

 

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- It's for the Democrats, not "For the People."

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House Resolution 1 (H.R.1), the "For the People" Act of 2021 was introduced on January 4, 2021 in the 117th Congress By Rep. John P. Sarbanes (D-MD-3), and recently passed to the Senate on March 11, 2021. To say this is a controversial bill would be an understatement as this represents major reforms to the way we vote; something many Americans are sensitive to following the 2020 presidential election.

I took time to read through the bill recently. Frankly, it is a kludge obviously written by attorneys. Thank God today's Democrats never had a chance to write the Constitution as they would have made it more voluminous than "War and Peace."

We already know our voting system is far from bulletproof but what is proposed here will weaken it further. Here is a handful of the problems I found with it:

1. The bill provides for voter registration over the Internet, allowing signatures in electronic form. As someone involved with the I.T. community for over 40 years, I see this as opening the floodgates to fraud. Maybe the authors of this bill are unfamiliar with the concept of Internet "hacking." Not only will outsiders be allowed in, but this is a convenient way for the dead to come back to life and vote again.

2. The bill wants every eligible citizen to be registered to vote, whether they want to or not. Let's assume the Democrats pass another bill providing blanket amnesty to illegal immigrants, thereby making them U.S. citizens. This would fill the coffers of votes for years to come.

3. In the bill, it states, "voter registration systems must be updated with 21st Century technologies and procedures to maintain their security." This is laughable as computer technology is prone to security flaws. I would prefer 18th Century technologies instead, e.g., show up in person, prove you are a citizen, sign the rolls, etc.

4. It goes on to say, "The chief State election official of each State shall establish and operate a system of automatic registration for the registration of eligible individuals to vote for elections for Federal office in the State, in accordance with the provisions of this part." This would result in 50 different interpretations for how this is done. Since the Federal government is pressing the issue, why don't they provide a standardized system?

5. The bill promotes the ability for voters to vote by mail. Requesting a legitimate absentee ballot is one thing. Pushing massive voting by mail opens the doors to fraud as found in the 2020 election.

6. Under the bill, no form of identification is required to obtain an absentee ballot. This means anyone can ask for an absentee ballot, be they a citizen or illegal immigrant.

7. The bill proposes Election Day as a Public Holiday, representing yet another day for government employees to have another paid holiday.

8. Contrary to popular belief, the bill does not provide for 16 year olds to vote. However, they can be registered to vote at this time. This hints at the next step of allowing more uninformed voters to vote.

There is nothing in the bill about validating voter identity, verification of signatures, or checking rolls in a uniform manner. This is all about harvesting votes for the Democrats in an unscrupulous manner.

I have always considered the right to vote as a sacred honor, something that should be safeguarded, not given away. If this legislation is passed, it is yet another nail in the coffin to this great Republic. This bill is certainly not "For the People," but rather for an autocratic form of government.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

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Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

REINVENTING THE WHEEL

BRYCE ON BUSINESS

- And why we should avoid doing so.

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I'm a big believer or reusing things, particularly if I know something has already proven itself to be a viable solution. As a small example, I maintain a library of templates for such things as word processing and desktop publishing documents, web pages, and simple data base designs. I select a template, and then fine tune it until I get what I want. I find this saves me a lot of time as opposed to developing something from scratch. If I find something else useful along the way, I add it to my library. In the systems world, I have always advocated the sharing and reusing of information resources, such as data and processing components, which I often refer to as "building blocks" for developing systems. It's just a smarter way of operating and, frankly, I don't like to reinvent the wheel with every project I'm working on. Instead, I want to get the job done. If that means reusing something, so be it, regardless of its age; if it works, it works.

I'm not much of a proponent of "throwing the baby out with the bath water," but I know a lot of people who are just the antithesis of this and are constantly reinventing the wheel. I don't know why this is, but I suspect it probably has something to do with human ego. It's kind of like someone saying, "Well, if I didn't think of it, it can't be any good and I'll go and invent one myself." We saw this for years when we sold our "PRIDE" methodology for systems design. We met several people who thought our methodology was nice, but thought they could do it better themselves and invested thousands of dollars trying to reinvent our wheel. Inevitably, such undertakings ended up as disasters and we sold them our product in the end. I always marveled at the amount of time and money these companies wasted in the process though; all because of ego.

Years ago General Motors took some heat for slipping a Pontiac engine into an Oldsmobile chassis. People thought they were getting gypped by getting a "cheap" engine. To me, I thought GM was brilliant. Here we had a company who designed products with interchangeable parts in mind. This allowed them to reduce inventory overhead, integrate their product lines, and still produce quality products less expensively. And I can tell you, there is nothing "cheap" about a Pontiac engine. Nonetheless, the public didn't see it this way.

In the systems world, I think you would be surprised to see how much computer software is thrown out with each release of a product. Instead of reusing program code, a lot of companies simply reinvent the wheel with each release. I find this rather strange and a huge waste of money. Maybe it's because people don't know how to share and reuse component parts; either that or they simply don't want to. Either way, the human tendency to avoid sharing and reusing anything, and reinventing the wheel each go around, leads to increased development costs, which, of course, is inflationary.

Another reason for not sharing is I believe we no longer have a sense of history anymore. We do not study what worked or what didn't years ago, we are only interested in the present. Consequently, this leads people into reinventing a wheel that was invented some time ago.

There have been plenty of tools introduced over the years for standardizing and sharing components; everything from Bill of Material Processors (BOMP) in the manufacturing sector, to Repositories in the I.T. field. You can find such tools in just about every field of endeavor. The technology is certainly available to share and reuse components, but the desire and discipline to do so is not. I can tell you this, sharing and reusing things doesn't happen by itself. It requires a concerted management effort to make it happen. However, if management is oblivious to the problem and doesn't care about the amount of money they waste year after year, then I guess we will be "reinventing the wheel" for a long time to come.

First published: October 29, 2007

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

OUR SENSE OF PROFESSIONALISM

BRYCE ON BUSINESS

- It's about substance versus facade.

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The word "professional" means a person is engaged in a specific activity as one's main paid occupation. Related to this is "professionalism," which is considered the quality of a person's work as it applies to his vocation, e.g.; "You can depend on Jim, he is very professional in his job," or; "Forget about Fred, he's undependable, inconsistent; you know, very unprofessional." I find it interesting the perspectives we have of ourselves as professionals. We all like to believe we are top-notch go-getters, but in reality is this really so? Young people desperately look for recognition from their managers as to the caliber of their work. Many genuinely believe they are highly professional in their work effort. The reality is they are far from it.

Some people believe their sense of professionalism is based on their taste in clothes and grooming, that if they project a certain image, people will develop a high opinion of them. Others believe it is a matter of being regarded as an authority on a specific subject. All of this is just facade. It's not a matter of appearances or being an authority on a subject, but more a matter of your ability to deliver. It means you take your vocation seriously and are committed to success. From this perspective, it is more akin to "class" as applied to workmanship, such as inferior, average, good, and best. The professional thereby embraces best practices on a regular basis. Whereas some people do just enough to get by, the professional consistently produces superior results. Facade is simply not enough, it's all about results. There is nothing more worthless than a person who knows how to do a job, but cannot deliver.

A true professional is considered resourceful, polished, knowledgeable, determined, and above all else, dependable to perform a task to a successful completion. You are the "go-to" person who produces superior results and, in the process, makes it look easy. Even if the task is difficult, you do not complain, you just make it happen. In other words, a true professional goes above and beyond the call of duty on a regular basis.

Instilling a sense of professionalism in an organization is difficult and requires coaching and mentoring. It includes developing a sense of craftsmanship, where methodologies and techniques are taught to the point it is understood; the benefits of performing tasks the right way, and the risks and penalties associated with performing tasks the wrong way. Our sense of professionalism is an inherent part of the corporate culture. The ultimate goal is to develop an esprit de corps whereby the company as a whole possesses the notion of zero tolerance for defects and attaining goals on-time and within budget

I wish it would be possible to certify professionalism, but you cannot, primarily because it is more of an attitude as opposed to a quantifiable technique. Projecting a professional image through fashion and vocabulary is nice and adds to your persona, but if you really want to be recognized as a professional, develop a reputation for delivering quality work products. Consider your approach to work; if you do just enough to get by, you are not there yet.

First published: October 19, 2015

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

 

EVOKING MEMORIES

BRYCE ON LIFE

- How the sense of smell and taste can unleash vivid memories.

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Of all of our senses, smell and taste can trigger vivid emotional memories, even going so far as to making us feel like we are being transported back in time. Sight, sound, and touch are also useful, but smell and taste evokes powerful images for us. I have three personal examples that take me back in time to my youth.

The first involves the use of my taste buds. Lately I've taken to drinking fruit juices late at night. I have orange juice which is usually reserved for breakfast, but I also keep apple and grape juice in the fridge, along with a fruit punch, something I enjoyed in my youth. I usually opt for the diet lite versions of these products as I do not want the sugar, but they are still delicious and I like them particularly cold. When I drink them, the taste takes me back to the early 1960's when I enjoyed such drinks in large tin cans which we would open with "church keys." If I was lucky, I would drink from the can and distinctly remember the taste of the tin which added to its flavor. In particular, the grape drink reminds me of the cheap frozen popsicles we would enjoy during the summertime. Back then, we also poured the grape drink into a Tupperware popsicle maker and froze it. When I consume these drinks today, I am transported back for a few scant seconds where I enjoyed such heavenly drinks.

The second experience involves the use of smell. Sometimes, early in the morning, when I go to retrieve the newspaper in the driveway, the sun is just starting to peek up over the horizon and I can smell the dew on the lawn. It's even better if the grass was freshly cut. It's at this moment when I return to my elementary school in Connecticut where I used to ride my old reliable J.C. Higgins bicycle early to school so my friends and I could play a couple of innings of baseball before the first bell. Our parents could never understand why we wanted to go to school so early, but they chalked it up as a positive sign we liked school. Actually, it was all about baseball. As I smell the morning today, I vividly remember what route I would take to school, how fast I would go on my bike, ever mindful not to let my books and baseball mitt pop out of my front basket.

The third experience also involves smell. You have heard me talk about my fly-fishing excursions in the past, particularly in North Carolina. There is something inspirational about working a stream, something rather peaceful and therapeutic. In my case, when I enter a babbling brook, I am again transported back to the Connecticut of my youth, where we would fish in streams with simple rods and reels, using stringers to secure our catches, and how to clean the fish afterwards. Near to the streams would be fruit trees and we would enjoy apples and peaches. We spent a lot of time in the streams, fishing and swimming, and building forts along the way to stay out of our parents' eyes. It was a glorious time.

Our sense of smell and taste are powerful and a link to our past. It reminds us of the kitchens of our grandparents, certain restaurants, and of events in the past, small or epochal. It's evoked by such simple things as aftershave lotion, burning leaves, pipe tobacco, cooking with charcoal brickets, bacon, burned toast, etc., and suddenly we are transported back to our youth. Sadly, as strong as these memories are, they last but a few precious seconds, which is long enough to remind me how lucky I was to enjoy such experiences.

First published: October 16, 2015

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

WHEN HAVOC STRIKES

BRYCE ON BUSINESS

- What to do when someone loses their cool at the office.

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Every now and then in business, we run into an uncomfortable situation where someone loses their cool and goes bananas. We primarily see this in situations involving the termination of an employee or when a worker blows up under pressure. They may not resort to armed violence, but such distractions can be disruptive and upset the harmony of the office, so we have to deal with it effectively and professionally.

We had a couple of situations like this over the years. The first that comes to mind was an employee who we terminated for poor performance. After being told his services were no longer wanted, he became visibly upset and refused to leave the building. The sheriff's office was summoned who finally escorted him off the premises. After storing his personal items in his car, he stood out in front of our office and began yelling expletives at the company. Fortunately, the sheriff's deputies removed him from the property. They asked if we wanted to press charges. We said, No, we just wanted him removed from the premises. Fortunately, this occurred at the close of business on a Friday, which is the right time to conduct terminations for this very purpose. You never know when a person is going to lose control.

I know of another company in the Tampa Bay area where an employee was terminated and instead of leaving, removed all of his clothes and sat at his desk, naturally making his co-workers uncomfortable as he couldn't possibly be confused as a male model.

Our second incident involved a lawyer who was determined to serve our company with legal papers involving a tenant who had leased space in our building. Prior to his arrival, we received an unexpected tip the attorney was on his way. Learning of this, we locked the front door. Sure enough, the attorney came a few minutes later and tried to enter the building. Realizing the door was locked, he went into a verbal tirade outside demanding entrance. He was so obnoxious, we again called the sheriff's office and had him arrested for trespassing. Interestingly, this marked the end of our legal hassles with our former tenant.

In both of our situations, it was tempting to go outside, confront the person and try to physically remove him from the property. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and we let local law enforcement handle the situation.

Such situations are uncommon, but as a co-worker you should always be cautious when a person goes into a rage. The best thing to do is avoid confrontation, do not engage the person orally or physically, thereby entangling yourself in the problem. Simply walk away and allow management and law enforcement to handle it. In larger corporations there are trained security people to escort them off the property. Smaller companies do not have such a luxury and must rely on local law enforcement.

In the situation of a hostile terminated employee, it is best not to allow him back into the business as he/she may very well want a physical confrontation, possibly even involving gunfire. For the protection of the employees, it is best to keep the building under tight security until the person is off the property.

As to wacko attorneys, they may know the law, but it doesn't mean they will adhere to it. It is wise to keep an eye on everyone coming and going to and from your facility, and keep the telephone number of law enforcement on your Speed Dial list. You never know when havoc will strike.

First published: October 2, 2015

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

WHEN IS IT TIME TO GO?

BRYCE ON LIFE

- An ode to knowing when to depart this world.

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You know it is time to go...
When the Earth has lost its charm, and no longer offers us joy or inspiration.
When we no longer find enjoyment in holidays, anniversaries or birthdays due to repetition.
When we can no longer find happiness in the simple pleasures of life.
When we can no longer contribute and have nothing more to offer.
When we recognize the party is over and cannot dance any longer.
When we are no longer the center of attention and our words fall on deaf ears.
When we can no longer socialize with others due to bitterness, anger or intolerance.
When we have lost too many times, forcing a decline in a will to win.
When we feel mankind has let us down one too many times.
When we have seen it all and done it all.
When there is an absence of love and understanding in the world.
When our bodies fail us once too often, be it mentally or physically.
However, if we spent our lives honorably and productively,
we will meet with God's good graces who will be pleased with our efforts,
and reunite us with our loved ones in the great beyond.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2021 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on Spotify, WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; SVA RADIO - "Senior Voice America", the leading newspaper for active mature adults; or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

"CAN I GET SOME HELP HERE?"

BRYCE ON HOSPITALS

- Why I'm not a fan of Mease Countryside Hospital.

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I have discussed the changing medical culture in the past; see (1), (2), (3), (4), (5). Herein I want to describe an actual experience I was involved with recently. Let me preface my remarks by saying I am no stranger to hospital Emergency Rooms having been to several over the years involving loved ones. I have discovered they are not all equal in terms of service and care. Recently, we had a horrible experience with a local hospital. Perhaps you can learn from this.

My elderly mother, who suffers from COPD, recently had been complaining of not being able to breath properly. This is someone who has been on oxygen 24/7 for at least five years, and taken an array of medications, so she is used to hospitals and their procedures. This time, our family doctor recommended I take her to Mease Countryside Hospital in Safety Harbor, FL where she should undergo a battery of tests, e.g.; blood test, chest X-ray, Cat-Scan, etc. From this, we hoped to be able to determine a course of action for her to take. We went to Mease Countryside because her primary medical physician is affiliated with it. Prior to this, we had no exposure to the hospital other than to visit friends convalescing.

The hospital was approximately twenty minutes from my Mom's house. So, on a Thursday afternoon, I loaded her into the car where she used her portable oxygen machine to breath. In measuring breathing, the mid-90's is normally a good score, but in the car she was in the low 80's and was having trouble breathing ("wheeze-wheeze"). Nonetheless, I got her to the hospital promptly and brought her to the Emergency Room (ER) entrance, where I placed her in a wheelchair. We then went through the hassle of being checked for COVID-19 and security. After which we waited anxiously in line at the front desk where one woman was alone and tending to another check-in. I thought it strange only one person was there to admit people as this was a fair sized hospital with many people in the waiting area.

When we finally got to the admitting woman, I presented my Mom's ID and insurance cards which she photocopied. I told her my Mom was having trouble breathing and asked if she could please expedite the process ("wheeze-wheeze"). It appeared it didn't matter to her as she processed the admission bureaucratically. My Mom's breathing seemed to be the least of her concerns. After this, she sequestered us in a waiting room where my Mom continued to wheeze. This was scaring me now as nothing seemed to be happening to help her. Finally, a nurse came out and whisked her away behind closed doors which I was not permitted to access. I tried to give the nurse a copy of my Mom's meds and names/numbers of her physicians, but she dismissed me out of hand and refused to take the paper.

I was then left outside the door where I patiently waited for some information as to what was going on. While there, I thought about what had happened. From the time we arrived at the ER to the time she had someone look at her was approximately 25 minutes, an eternity for someone who is having trouble breathing.

I compared this to an incident a month earlier where a friend and I went out to dinner. Before we could order, she sensed something was wrong and thought she was having a stroke. The closest hospital was AdventHealth North Pinellas in Tarpon Springs (aka, "Helen Ellis Memorial"), a part of the AdventHealth system. Knowing it was nearby, I had the hostess help me get her into my car where I rushed her to the hospital at about 6:30pm, taking no more than ten minutes to get there. I got her in a wheelchair and into admissions. I handed the people there (two ladies as I recall) her ID and medical cards, which they scanned and updated their records automatically. Total time to get through admissions, two minutes, tops. She was then immediately treated by physicians.

The differences between the two hospitals was like night and day. One was interested in bureaucracy, the other was interested in patient care. Being an old systems man, I was amazed by the inefficiencies of the Mease Countryside system and seeming indifference to customer service.

After waiting about five minutes for word about my mother, three hospital security guards from Allied Universal Security Systems confronted me. I didn't know what they wanted so I tried chatting with one where I commented on the incompetence in the ER, that I had never seen anything like it before. He told me that my Mom had not passed her COVID-19 test yet, and since I had contact with her I would have to wait. I said fine, and started to return to the waiting room where we were before. "Where are you going?" he said gruffly. This is when I began to notice he was irritated.

"I'm just going into the waiting room like you said," I replied.

"No! You must wait outside, and if you make a scene I will have you banned from the hospital."

I looked bewildered at him and said, "You're kidding?"

No he wasn't, so I turned to leave and began laughing as I had never seen such incompetence in an ER like this before.

After a few minutes, a nurse came outside to ask me questions about my Mom and apologized for the conduct of administration. I told him about the list of meds and doctors I had tried to give the other nurse and he said, "Great, this is exactly what we needed."

I replied, "Hey, I tried." He shook his head in disbelief and returned to the hospital.

After waiting outside for over a half-hour, a doctor called me and asked me to come back inside to see my Mom. When I re-entered, I had to go through the COVID-19 check and security again. This time, the security and staff eyed me suspiciously. I got the impression they were surprised I was being let back in.

My Mom had passed the COVID-19 test (she was negative) and they had completed their battery of tests on her lungs. The attending physician wanted her to spend the night in the hospital. Now, you have to remember why we came here; to get a battery of tests to calculate a strategy. She had undergone the tests and was anxious to go home, but the attending physician insisted she was in bad shape and should spend the night for observation. After discussing the matter with our family physician, we reluctantly agreed and they moved Mom upstairs to a regular room.

The one night turned into five as the medical personnel convinced my mother she was in bad shape. So much so, by the end of her stay the Hosptalist Doctor said she had two options: one, go home, which he didn't recommend, and; two, enter her into a rehabilitation unit (aka, "Nursing Home"). Our fear was that she would go in but never come out. So, over the objections of the medical staff, we elected to take her home. To do so, I had to sign a waiver releasing the medical staff of any liabilities as we were going against their recommendations.

A few of the medical staff became nasty over our decision, "Oh, once you get her home, you'll just have to bring her back here."

Another said adamantly, "This is crazy, you belong in a rehab center."

In other words, it became just as difficult to get Mom out of the hospital as it was to get her in. Maybe they should re-name the hospital to "Fort Knox."

On Mom's first day back at home, she woke up with an oxygen level of 97% which is excellent. She is now regaining her strength after sitting in bed for five days, and she was more relaxed as she wasn't being harassed by the medical staff.

LESSONS LEARNED

If we were to do this over again, I think I would have called 911 and have an ambulance take her to Mease Countryside as it appeared patients arriving in this manner were admitted immediately. I naively believed taking Mom to a hospital myself was better. Then again, maybe there is an incestuous relationship with ambulance companies that I am not aware of.

There are essentially two parts to any hospital, the administrative side, and the medical care side. Again, as an old systems man, I was appalled by how slow it seemed for patients to be admitted, just the antithesis of AdventHealth North Pinellas. Beyond this, there appeared to be an insensitivity in terms of caring for the incoming patients. In my judgement, they were only concerned with bureaucracy and cash-flow, meaning to keep patients in longer to make money.

The medical side was a bit better, but it seemed clear to us some medical people were much better than others. The best doctor there was the pulmonologist (treats lungs) who appeared to be very knowledgeable, gave straight answers, and had a good bed-side manner about him, but he was the exception as opposed to the rule.

Like the administrative side of the hospital, the medical side seemed obsessed with feeding the computer as opposed to providing patient care. Some were good and helpful people, while others had a rather poor bed-side manner. Feeding the computer was of paramount importance and, I believe, is a deterrent to effective patient care. True, AdventHealth North also is consumed by computers as well, but they seem to make a better effort to work with patients.

Interestingly, while waiting to pass "Check Point Charlie" at the main entrance at the start of visiting hours, I heard many other stories of hospital snafus by relatives of other patients. This obviously did not instill a sense of confidence in me. I also found the main switchboard to be impenetrable, thereby blocking me from talking to my mother or medical personnel. I learned quickly to take down telephone numbers of important personnel so I could dial them directly. If you didn't have the number, forget it. It was an eerie blackout that didn't sit well with me.

It was an odd feeling as we finally left Mease Countryside. Both my mother and myself felt like we had escaped, much like the prisoners who tunneled out of the high-security POW camp in the movie, "The Great Escape." As I said, Mom's health and sense of well-being immediately improved and continues to do so. Sorry Colleen, she is doing just fine, but won't be back to have you taunt her.

So, people have asked me would I recommend Mease Countryside. Let me put it this way, if it is between bleeding in the street or going to Mease Countryside, I'll take my chances in the street. That is how turned off I was with their service.

I am not trying to provoke a fight with Mease Countryside, but if nobody speaks up, nothing will change.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - For a listing of my books, click HERE.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

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